Trench-destroyer and army-destroyer.



Witnesses R. D. BURCHiLL.

TRENCH DESTBOYER AND ARMY DESTROYER.

APPLICATION man AUG-23.191?- Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

. Attorneys RICHARD D. BUROHILL, OF TAMPA, FLORIDA.

TBENGH-DESTROYER AND ARMY-DESTROY.

Specification of Letters I'atent.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

Application filed August 23, 1917. Serial No. 187,850.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD D. BURomLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tampa, in the county of Hillsborough and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Trench-Destroyer and Army-Destroyer of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus particularly designed for dropping bombs in quantities on trenches and other fortifications.

One of the objects of the invention is to combine with a flying machine, a supporting structure to which is detachablyf connected another structure having a nlfmber of explosives connected to it and adapted to be discharged either by contact with the ground or by time fuses, as preferred.

Another object is to provide a structure of this character which will not interfere materially with the operation of a flying machine and which, although of considerable size, can be conveyed to a desired point and released easily.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure l is a plan view of the apparatus constituting the present invention, the parts being shown more or less in diagram.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation and diagram of' the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view partly in section and partly in elevation through a portion of the apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the releasing mechanism.

' Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates an aeroplane of any desired type, the same being provided with an upwardly extending shaft 2 having a hand wheel 3 or the like whereby the shaft can be rotated readily by the aviator. To the lower end of the shaft are secured radial arms 4 and connected to and extending substantially at right angles from the outer ends of these arms are connecting rods 5.

Secured to the aeroplane and extending forwardly, rearwardly and laterally therebeyond 1s a supporting frame 6 made up preferably of light material such as metal tubing or wood spars. This frame can be of any deslred proportion and the center of it is located directly under the aeroplane body so that the entire frame will be properly balanced when the machine is in flight. Connected to the frame 6 at the center of each end and at each side is a supporting latch or hook 7 and these hooks engage the centers of the sides and ends of a detachable frame 8 made of any desired material and which is provided, at desired intervals, with bombs or other containers of high explosives and which have been indicated generally at 9. The hooks 7 are connected to the respective arms 4 by the rods 5 and when the hooks are in their normal positions they engage the lower frame 8 and hold it firmly to the frame 6 so that the load is thus fully balanced and can be conveyed readily by the aeroplane.

Assuming that the frame 8 is provided with a number of bombs adapted to explode upon contact with the ground, the aeroplane 1 is directed upwardly and forwardly and the frame will be balanced even though it may be extended considerable distances forwardly and rearwardly from the aeroplane. When the aeroplane reaches a point above and parallel with the trench to be blown up, the shaft 2 is rotated by means of wheel 3 so that the hooks 7 are all simultaneously disengaged from the frame 8. Thus the frame will drop to the ground and all of the bombs be exploded simultaneously.

It is to be understood that the main or supporting frame 6 can be suitably reinforced by brace rods 10. Also if preferred, the lower frame 8 can be provided with an intermediate longitudinal bar 11 on which bombs may be mounted.

Apparatus such as described can be hung readily at thecenter of the frame 6 from any type of aeroplane or other airship and by equipping aeroplanes or the like with these devices it will be found that disastrous attacks can be made, one aeroplane doing more damage, when dropping one of these devices, than could be done by several areoplanes equipped with ordinary bombs.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with an airship and a supporting frame connected at its center thereto and extending beyond the sides and ends thereof, of a detachable member connected to the frame, explosive containers carried by said member, and means under the control of the aviator for disconnecting said member fromthe supporting frame.

2. The combination With an airship, of a supporting structure connected thereto and extending beyond the sides and ends thereof, said structure being balanced, a detach able structure connected to the supporting.

movably connected to the supporting structure, a detachable structure engaged by the I latches, explosive devices carried by the det'achable structure, and means under the control of the aviator for'simultaneously shifting all the latches to release the detachable structure.

4:. The combination with an airship, of a supporting structure connected thereto and extending beyondthe sides and ends thereof, said structure being balanced, latches movably connected to the supporting structure, a detachable structure engaged by the latches, explosive devices carried by the detachable structure, and means under thecontrol of the aviator for simultaneously shifting all of the latches to release the detachable structure, said means including a shaft, radial arms extending therefrom, rods connecting the arms to, the respective latches, and means for rotating the shaft.

In testimony that Iclaim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

RICHARD D. BURCHILL.

Witnesses W. W. Tmon, O. S. Jonas. 7 

